NFA eases palay rules to be able to buy more

THE National Food Authority (NFA) has eased its palay procurement rules to purchase more from local planters ahead of peak harvest season.

- ADA PELONIA

The NFA enabled "more flexible" buying standards after a recent meeting with stakeholders to review and update its standard operating procedures ahead of the surge in harvest.

The grains agency recalibrated what qualifies as dry palay by widening the acceptable moisture content range to 11 to 14 percent, from the narrower 12 to 14 percent benchmark that often led to rejected deliveries.

Such an adjustment allows more farmers to meet the higher procurement price without being downgraded on technical grounds, the NFA said.

With further revisions including a refined pest standard now defined as "visibly free from pests," the agency noted that fewer harvests would be rejected for minor or non-material defects.